Historic New York hotel closes due to outbreak

Historic hotel Mohonk Mountain House, located in Ulster County, New York, shut down Friday due to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illnesses. Many guests and staff members began complaining of stomach problems believed to be norovirus.

The lakeside hotel will be closed for a week to thoroughly sanitize the entire facility. According to the NY Times, Nina Smiley, marketing director for Mohonk Mountain House, commented on the decision to temporarily close, saying, “We chose to do that. That was our recognition that it was the right thing to do. We need to do this quickly, we needed to do this thoroughly, and we needed to take aggressive action. And the Health Department is supporting all of our efforts.”

Common symptoms of the norovirus include severe stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. The virus can be contracted by ingesting contaminated foods or liquids, touching infected surfaces or via human-to-human contact.

According to UPI, the castle-like resort that houses 259 guest rooms will re-open February 14.